Contract Specialist

Enter your Social Security Number in the space indicated. Providing your Social Security Number is voluntary, however we cannot process your application without it.

Vacancy Identification Number

The vacancy ID is 8588201. Title of Job

The title of the position is: Contract Specialist2. Biographic Data

All biographic information is required, except for your telephone number and the contact time.

3. E-Mail Address

4. Work Information

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.5. Employment Availability

Indicate your availability for employment.

6. Citizenship

Are you a citizen of the United States?7. Background Information

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.

8. Other Information

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.

9. Languages

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.

10. Lowest Grade

Enter the lowest grade level (07-07) you will accept.

07

11. Miscellaneous Information

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.

12. Special Knowledge

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.

13. Test Location

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.

14. Veteran Preference Claim

15. Dates of Active Duty - Military Service

16. Availability Date

You may omit the availability date if you can begin work immediately. Otherwise you must provide the date you will be available for employment. Please use this format: (mm/dd/yyyy)

17. Service Computation Date

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.

18. Other Date Information

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.

19. Job Preference

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.

20. Occupational Specialties

Select/enter at least one occupational specialty code as defined below.Your selection will be used to determine your consideration for this position under competitive or non-competitive merit promotion procedures.The specialty codes for this position are 001 and 002.You must select at least one specialty code; however, you may select both codes, if applicable, and you meet eligibility for each type of consideration.

001  Transfer or Reinstatement eligibles: Current or former Federal career or career conditional employees who hold, or have held, a non-temporary position in the competitive service, at a lower grade level as the position being announced; Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) eligibles: Veterans who are preference eligibles OR who have separated under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous service.

002  Disabled veterans receiving 30% or more disability compensation from the VA;Individuals with severe disabilities (eligible for Schedule A appointments); Individuals eligible under other non-competitive appointment authorities such as: military spouses under E.O. 13473; Veterans Recruitment Authority (VRA); certain former overseas employees; present and former Peace Corps, Vista or Action volunteers; former White House staff; present and former Foreign Service officers and employees; certain National Guard technicians; and Current and former Federal employees who meet the established criteria outlined in an Office of Personnel Management Interchange Agreement; Transfer or Reinstatement eligibles that hold, or have previously held a Federal career or career-conditional position at the same or higher grade level as the position being announced; and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: displaced Federal employees requesting special priority selection consideration as determined by their employing agency

Please note that if you are eligible for consideration under non-competitive merit promotion procedures and you wish to, you may apply under competitive merit promotion as well.

001 Competitive Merit Promotion002 Non Competitive Merit Promotion

21. Geographic Availability

Select/enter at least one geographic location in which you are interested and will accept employment. The location code for this position is:

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.

24. Personal Background Information

If you are applying by the OPM Form 1203-FX, leave this section blank.

25. Occupational/Assessment Questions:

This assessment section includes questions to determine if you are in the area of consideration for this vacancy. Please choose A (Yes) or B (No) for each of the following items to identify which of the following descriptions applies to you. Failure to respond to these questions may result in an ineligible rating.

A- YesB- No

1. CURRENT EMPLOYEE: Are you currently a permanent federal employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)? (A copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50, that has Items 24 and 34 completed is required at the time of application.)

2. TRANSFER: Are you currently a permanent federal employee employed at an agency other than VA? (A copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50, that has Items 24 and 34 completed is required at the time of application)

3. If you are a current Federal employee, please choose the statement that best describes your federal employment background compared to the target grade level of the position.

A. PROMOTION: I have not held the target grade of the vacancy, or a grade higher than the target grade of the vacancy, on a permanent basis.B. REPROMOTION: I have held the target grade of the vacancy on a permanent basis but am currently a lower grade.C. REASSIGNMENT: I currently hold the target grade of the vacancy on a permanent basis.D. CHANGE TO LOWER GRADE: I currently hold a grade higher than the target grade of the vacancy on a permanent basis.E. I am not a current Federal employee.

4. REINSTATEMENT: Are you a former Federal employee who has reinstatement eligibility? To be eligible for reinstatement, (1) you must have served in a career appointment, or (2) You must have served on a career-conditional appointment which ended during the past three years. Note: the three-year limit does not apply to applicants with Veterans preference. This three-year limit is extended for those who have had other federal service since the career-conditional appointment ended, by the length of that other employment. A copy of the most recent, or last Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50, issued during that federal employment is required at the time of application. Please make sure that the document has Items 24 and 34 completed.

A. YesB. No

5. If you are a former Federal employee who answered yes to question 4, please choose the statement that best describes the highest grade you held in these appointments.

A. REINSTATEMENT - COMPETITIVE: I have not held the target grade of the vacancy, or a grade higher than the target grade, on a permanent basis.B. REINSTATEMENT -NON-COMPETITIVE: I have held the target grade of the vacancy, or a grade higher than the target grade of the vacancy, on a permanent basis.C. I am not a former Federal employee.

6. 30% DISABLED VETERAN: Are you eligible for appointment as a 30% or more compensable disabled Veteran? To be eligible, you must have retired from active military service with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more, OR have a rating by the Department of Veterans Affairs showing a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. (Please include in your Application for 10-Point Preference, SF-15, and the documents required by the SF-15.)

A. YesB. No

7. VETERANS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ACT (VEOA): Are you eligible for a Veterans Employment Opportunity Act appointment? To be eligible, you are a Preference Veteran Preference, or you are Veteran separated after substantially completing at least 3 years of continuous active duty service performed under honorable conditions (this means an honorable or general discharge). (Please include in your application copies of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214, or other proof of your service.)

A. YesB. No

8. NON-COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT ELIGIBILITY: Are you eligible for some other noncompetitive appointment? This includes appointment based on an interchange agreement, severe disability (Schedule A), eligibility of some military spouses, or similar authorities. To see information about interchange agreements and other noncompetitive appointments you may view at the link below: (Please include with your application documents that show you are eligible under the special authority, such as personnel action documents showing eligibility for appointment through an interchange agreement, letter from a vocational rehabilitation counselor for appointment based on a severe disability, etc.)http://www.opm.gov/hr_practitioners/lawsregulations/appointingauthorities/index.asp

A. YesB. No

1. Continuation of Service Agreement. Employees may be required to sign an agreement with the Agency upon completion of the first year of training, to remain with the agency for a period of up to 3 years after the completion of the formal training/internship program.The employee will agree to (1) continue in the service of his agency for a period of up to 3 years, commencing upon completion of the formal training, and (2) pay back expenses if he/she voluntarily separates from his agency prior to completion of the service obligation period.

A. Yes. I am willing to sign a Continuation of Service Agreement with the agency for up to 3 years upon completion of the formal training/internship program.B. No. I am not willing to sign a Continuation of Service Agreement.

This section will be used to determine if you possess the basic educational requirements needed to qualify for a Contract Specialist, GS-1102.

2. Please select the response that most closely matches your basic educational qualifications for a Contract Specialist, GS-1102-07 positions. Make sure your resume supports the response you select.Transcripts must be provided to support your educational claims. Failure to provide transcripts will result in an ineligible rating.

A. I have completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field. NOTE: You must submit copies of college transcripts.B. I have at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. NOTE: You must submit copies of college transcripts.C. I do not meet the criteria described in statements A or B above and do not qualify for this position.

In addition to meeting the Basic Qualifications requirement, applicants must also meet one of the following to be qualified for the GS-07 grade level.In order to be considered, you must answer each of the questions below addressing minimum qualifications/specialized experience. Failure to answer any of these questions will result in an ineligible rating.

3. From the descriptions below, please select the response that BEST reflects your education and/or specialized experience for the position of Contract Specialist GS-1102-07.

A. I am eligible based on Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) based on one of the following: (1) class standing (upper third standing in graduating class); (2) grade-point average (2.95 overall or over the last two years of bachelor's degree -or- 3.45 in your major field or over the last two years in your major); or (3) election to membership in a national scholastic honor society.B. I have completed one full year of graduate level study in one of the following fields of study: accounting, business finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, and organization and management. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.C. I have completed at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5 level in the Federal Service, or equivalent pay band in other pay systems, that has equipped me with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. This experience may have also been gained in the private sector. Creditable specialized experience includes: experience performing developmental and/or recurring assignments in support of a local installation or in a centralized procurement activity; procuring supplies or services; reviewing requisitions to determine that proper specifications and/or purchase descriptions; applying negotiation techniques resulting in win-win solutions, and analyzing facts and other related documents to drive conclusions and offer recommendations.D. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: I have less than the full amount of graduate education described in "B" and less than the amount of experience described in "C," but have a combination of the type of graduate education described in "B" and the type of experience described in "C." If you do not qualify based on education or experience alone, you can combine your education and experience by converting each to a percentage and then adding the percentages.E. I do not have the experience/education described in the statements above.

For each task choose the statement from the list below (A-E) that best describes your experience and/or training. Please select one (1) letter as it applies to you for each statement below.

A- I have not had education, training, or experience in performing this task.B- I have had education or training in performing this task, but have not yet performed it on the job.C- I have performed this task on the job. My work on this task was monitored by a supervisor or senior employee to ensure compliance with proper procedures.D- I have performed this task as a regular part of a job. I have performed it independently and normally without a review by a supervisor or senior employee.E- I am considered an expert in performing this task. I have supervised performance of this task or am normally the person who is consulted by other workers to assist them in doing this task because of my expertise.

4. Make comparison of prices, discounts, delivery dates, or handling charges for purchasing/procurement.

5. Apply standard arithmetic practices used in business (e.g., discounts and warranties) sufficient to compare prices on recurring types of procurements.

9. Perform basic analyses of a contract, including pricing data and historical information.

10. Participate in a challenging negotiation resulting in a win-win outcome.

11. Utilize customer service techniques in a controversial business situation leading to a positive outcome.

12. I certify that all of my responses to this questionnaire are true and accurate. I accept that if my supporting documentation and/or later steps in the selection process do not support one or more of my responses to the questionnaire that my application may be rated lower and/or I may be removed from further consideration. (Note: Failure to certify will render you ineligible for consideration.)